Mary

MARY

Mother of Jesus

HER NAME MAY MEAN "Bitterness"

HER CHARACTER:

She was a virgin from a poor family in an obscure village in Galilee. Her response to Gabriel reveals a young woman of unusual faith and humility. Her unqualified yes to God's plan for her life entailed great personal risk and suffering. She must have endured seasons of confusion, fear, and darkness as the events of her life unfolded. She is honored, not only as the mother of Jesus, but as his first disciple.

HER SORROW:

To see the son she loved shamed and tortured, left to die like the worst kind of criminal.

HER JOY:

To see her child raised from the dead; to have received the Holy Spirit along with Christ's other disciples. 

KEY SCRIPTURES:

Matthew 1:18-25; 2; Luke 1:26-80; 2:1-52; John 19:25-27

HER LIFE AND TIMES

Mary cowered in fear when the angel Gabriel appeared to her - not an uncommon reaction. Most often in Scripture, when an angel appeared to a human being, the reaction was one of fright. While we're not told exactly what angels look like or how they appear, one description in Matthew's gospel says the angel's "appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow" (Matthew 28:3). Certainly it's obvious from the reactions of those who saw them that angels are supernatural beings and therefore frightening. 

Angels played an important role in the life of Jesus. After first appearing to Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph, angels announced Jesus' birth to the shepherds (Luke 2:9). Angels came and ministered to Jesus after he was tempted in the desert (Matthew 4:11) and when he was in the garden just before his crucifixion (Luke 22:43). A violent earthquake accompanied the angel that came to earth and rolled back the stone over Jesus' tomb (Matthew 28:2). When Jesus ascended into heaven, two angels, "men dressed in white" (Acts 1:10) told the disciples he would be coming back in the same way. 

In the book of Revelation, John describes a glorious scene: "Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!'" (Revelation 5:11-12).

Imagine the sight: hundreds of thousands of beings - purest white, like lightning - all moving in concert around God's throne. Listen: Can you imagine their loud, supernatural voices praising Jesus? _Worthy is the Lamb!_ Then "every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them" (Revelation 5:13) will join in with them, singing the same song of praise. What a sight! What a sound! Mary will be there praising her son. Will you be there praising your Savior?

HER PROMISE

When God says nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37), he means it. He is all-powerful, omnipotent, the Savior of the world. No matter what he has promised, no matter how hard or impossible that promise to fulfill, he can and will do it.

Promises in Scripture

For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over.... He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.

-JOSHUA 4:23-24

With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

-MATTHEW 19:26

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

-1 CORINTHIANS 1:25

HER LEGACY OF PRAYER

Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.

-LUKE 1:28

REFLECT ON:

Luke 1:26-38

PRAISE GOD:

That nothing is impossible with him. 

OFFER THANKS:

That a woman's body became the dwelling place of divinity. 

CONFESS:

Any tendency to devalue yourself as a woman 

ASK GOD:

To make you a woman, like Mary, who brings Jesus into the world by expressing his character, power, forgiveness, and grace.

Lift Your Heart

Choose one episode in the life of Mary - her encounter with Gabriel, the birth of her child, the scene with the shepherds, the presentation in the temple, the escape to Egypt, her son's agony on the cross, or her presence with the disciples in the upper room. Imagine yourself in her place. What are your struggles, your joys? What thoughts run through your mind? Does anything or anyone take you by surprise?

Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your reflections, to help you imagine the sounds, sights, and smells that will bring each scene to life. Let the Scriptures feed your soul with a deeper understanding of God's intention for your life. Pray for the grace to be like the woman who said: "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said"

My soul is full of you, my God, and I cannot hold back my gladness. Everyone who sees me will call me blessed because you have noticed me. You saw my lowliness and my need and filled my emptiness with your presence. Form your likeness in me so that, like Mary, I can bring you into a world that desperately needs your love. In the name of Mary's son I pray, Amen.

The Woman of Proverbs 31

The Woman of Proverbs 31

HER CHARACTER:

She represents the fulfillment of a life lived in wisdom. 

HER JOY:

To be praised by her husband and children as a woman who surpasses all others.

KEY SCRIPTURE;

Proverbs 31:10-31

HER LIFE AND TIMES

SPINNING AND WEAVING

The woman of Proverbs 31 was a real pro at working with fabrics. She started by selecting the wool and flax (verse 13), then spinning it into threads (verse 19). She wove the woolen threads into rich scarlet clothing to keep her family warm in snowy weather (verse 21). She wove the flax threads into linen for bed coverings, for fine clothing for herself, and for clothing and sashes to sell (verses 22, 24).

Traditionally women's work, the spinning and weaving of cloth for clothing, bedding, rugs, and other needs occupied a tremendous amount of the time and talents of Hebrew women. Fibers from plants like cotton and flax or wool from sheep were spun and twisted in order to produce a long thread. That thread could then be used to sew fabrics together with needles made of bone or it could be used to weave new fabric. Weaving, an art that the Hebrews probably perfected while they were in Egypt, was done on a rudimentary loom. 

Sound like a lot of work? It was. The women of a household spent virtually every spare moment on one part or another of the task of making fabrics. The "wife of noble character" in Proverbs 31 works "with eager hands" (verse 13), and it seems as if the spindle and distaff never leave her fingers (verse 19). That's why "she has no fear for her household" (verse 21). Spinning and weaving have kept her busy all the time, but she and her family are ready for the cold weather. 

Does just reading about the Proverbs 31 woman make you tired? Do you wish she would just sit down and rest a moment? Whatever your response to this larger-than-life woman, you can't help but notice that she never wasted the time given her. In our convenient culture of store-bought clothing and fast-food restaurants, you may not need to weave your own cloth or cook your own meals - but that's not the issue. The issue is what you are doing with the time that's been given to you.

HER PROMISE

Many women find Proverbs 31 discouraging. Don't let that happen to you. Remember, this very capable woman is ultimately praised not so much for all she accomplishes as for one thing: She fears the Lord. The woman who is worthy of praise is not necessarily the one who does all her own sewing or is a great cook or is a natural beauty - the woman who gets the praise is the woman who fears the Lord. That's the target to aim for. Not outward beauty. Not a perfectly decorated home. Not even more intellectual knowledge or business acumen. Instead, aim for a bold, all-consuming love for God. Then you too will be worthy of praise.

Promises in Scripture

The fear of the Lord - that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding -JOB 28:28

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised-PROVERBS 31:30

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind"; and, "Love your neighbor as yourself"-LUKE 10:27

HER LEGACY OF PRAYER

For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

-Proverbs 8:11

REFLECT ON:

Proverbs 8:11-36

PRAISE GOD:

For the gift of wisdom, which preserves, blesses, and even prolongs our life. 

OFFER THANKS:

For the benefits of wisdom you have already tasted in your daily life.

CONFESS:

Any tendency to choose the wisdom of the world over the wisdom of God. 

ASK GOD:

Every day to make you a woman who longs for wisdom, who prefers it to silver and gold. 

Lift Your Heart:

Proverbs is full of pithy statements that contain profound wisdom for daily life. Look through this book of Scripture and select a few favorites, then commit them to memory. Here's a few to get you started:

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

-Proverbs 17:22

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.

-Proverbs 18:2

Those who get wisdom love their own lives; those who cherish understanding will soon prosper.

-Proverbs 19:8

Lord, you know better than I the kind of heart in which wisdom grows best - one in which patience, faith, and humility are there to nourish it. Help me cultivate a heart in which wisdom can quickly take root and flourish. Let wisdom be so much a part of my life that it produces a shelter for others.

RUTH

RUTH

HER NAME MEANS

"Friendship"

HER CHARACTER:

Generous, loyal, and loving, she is strong and serene, able to take unusual risks, dealing actively with life circumstances.

HER SORROW:

To have lost her husband, homeland, and family.

HER JOY:

To discover firsthand  generous, loyal, and loving nature of God, as he provided her with a husband, a son, and a home to call her own.

KEY SCRIPTURES:

Ruth 2-4; Matthew 1:5

HER LIFE AND TIMES 

GLEANING

When Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem, it was harvest time. They would not have the opportunity to plant their own grain and harvest it. So, unless there was another way to get food, they would starve. Naomi knew the Mosaic laws and urged Ruth to follow the harvesters and "glean," or gather, what they left behind. In this way, Ruth would be able to provide food for both Naomi and for herself.

The laws of Moses directed landowners to leave some of the harvest behind for the "poor and aliens." As a Moabite with no one to support her, Ruth fit both categories. Harvesters were not to reap to the very edges of their fields, nor were they to go over a field a second time to pick up what was missed the first time. This grain was to be left for the poor (Leviticus 19:9; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19-22). This "welfare system," set up by Moses, took care of the needy by encouraging the rich to share their bounty with those less fortunate. 

But it wasn't a handout. The poor still had to work for their food, following along behind the harvesters and picking up what was left by them. When Boaz ordered his reapers to purposely leave behind stalks of grain for Ruth to pick up, he went beyond the letter of the law.

Boaz also ordered his reapers not to "embarrass" Ruth were she to glean in the wrong part of the field; that is, if she didn't follow the rules exactly. His admonishment offers a glimpse into the heart and character of this man, who took great care to follow the Mosaic law and who, with Ruth, became an ancestor of Christ.

Was it by chance that Ruth "found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech [Ruth's father-in-law]" (Ruth 2:3)? Of course not. Even in what appeared to be a chance situation, God was at work, divinely preparing for Ruth's and Naomi's sustenance. Never assume that what happens in your life is merely a matter of chance or coincidence. Remember: God is at work, divinely orchestrating events to bring about his purposes in your life.

HER PROMISE

All that Ruth did was done for love of her mother-in-law, and for love of Naomi's God. She made a promise on the road to Bethlehem that she was determined to keep. Though it was a promise made by one woman to another, it is often quoted in wedding ceremonies as an eloquent expression of love and loyalty between spouses. 

Ruth had no way of knowing that her way of blessing Naomi would eventually become a blessing in her own life. That's just the divine irony of our God, who delights so much in seeing us love and bless others that he turns that love and blessing back on us in double measure.

Promises in Scripture

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. -RUTH 1:16

A generous person will prosper, whoever refreshes others will be refreshed -PROVERBS 11:25

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

-MATTHEW 5:7-8

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

-1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19

HER LEGACY OF PRAYER

The women said to Naomi, "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."-RUTH 4:14-15

REFLECT ON:

Ruth 3-4

PRAISE GOD:

That he provides for those who have no one to provide for them. 

OFFER THANKS:

For the way God has used other women, your mother or mother-in-law, your sisters or daughters, to provide for you.  

CONFESS:

Any tendency to compete with other women. 

ASK GOD:

To help you appreciate your own mother and mother-in-law and to give you a vision of the power of two women, linked by love and faith.

Lift Your Heart

It's easy to assume the important women in our lives know how much we cherish them. But Mother's Day cards and friendship cards, nice as they are to get and give, don't really do the trick. We also need to verbalize our love sincerely and regularly. Don't wait until Mother's Day to treat your mother, mother-in law, or an older friend to tea or a leisurely lunch. Tell her just how much you care about her. (Make sure you take time beforehand to think about all her wonderful qualities. Take notes so that you can be specific.) You might even buy a small blank book and record all the ways she's blessed you. Decorate each page with colorful stickers or stencils. Package it with scented soap and bath salts and give it as a keepsake she can treasure.

Father, I thank you for the women who have played such an important role in my life. Please bless each one in a special way today and help me find ways to express to them my love and gratitude.

RACHEL

RACHEL

HER NAME MEANS

"Ewe"

HER CHARACTER: Manipulated by her father, she had little say over her own life circumstances and relationships. But rather than dealing creatively with a difficult situation, Rachel behaved like a perpetual victim, responding to sin with yet more sin, making things worse by competing with her sister, and deceiving her father in return.

HER SORROW: That her longing for children ultimately led to her death in childbirth.

HER JOY: That her husband cherished her and would do what ever was in his power to make her happy.

KEY SCRIPTURES: Genesis 29-35; Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:18

HER LIFE AND TIMES:

MENSTRUAL CYCLES

Rachel said to her father, "Don't be angry, my lord, that I can not stand up in your presence: I'm having my period. So [Laban] searched but could not find the household gods" (Genesis 31:35). Rachel's words here are the only mention in Scripture of a typical monthly menstrual cycle, other than the ceremonial laws covering menstruation found in Leviticus and referred to again in Ezekiel.

Rachel knew without a doubt that her ploy would successfully deter her father. By claiming to have her period, she not only kept the false gods she had stolen, she kept her very life, since Jacob had promised to kill whoever had stolen the idols from Laban.

During the time a Hebrew woman had her period, she was considered "unclean," not really surprising considering the untidy nature of a monthly flow, especially in those days, long before the invention of feminine sanitary products. But the laws were more stringent than just to cover the very personal nature of a monthly period. Those who touched a woman at this time, even by chance, became unclean until evening. Wherever the woman slept or sat also became unclean. Anyone who touched her bedding or her seat was considered unclean until they washed their clothes, bathed, and waited until evening.

A woman was considered unclean for seven days, the normal length of a woman's monthly period. She then customarily bathed in order to cleanse herself. This is probably the bath that Bathsheba was taking when spotted by King David (2 Samuel 11:2-4). Since she had just had her period, David could be sure Bathsheba's child was his when she told him she was pregnant (her husband was a soldier off to war).

Many women consider their monthly period, and the discomfort and irritability that often come along with it, a monthly trial-some thing women must bear, and men, lucky creatures, are spared. How ever, it is only through this particular function of her body that a woman can reproduce and carry a child. Although at times messy, at times a nuisance, at times downright painful, only through this process does a woman have the opportunity afforded to no man-the opportunity to bear new life. And in so doing, to be uniquely linked to the Creator of all life.

HER PROMISE

Genesis 30:22 says, "God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb." God _remembered_ Rachel, but he had never really forgotten her. When the Bible uses the word _remember_ it doesn't mean that God forgets and then suddenly recalls - as if the all-knowing, all-powerful God of the universe suddenly says, "Oops! I forgot all about Rachel. I'd better do something quickly!"

No, when the Bible says God remembers something, it expresse God's love and compassion for his people. It reminds us of God promise never to abandon us or leave us without support or relief. He will never forsake us. He will never forget us. He will always _remember_ us.

Promises in Scripture:

Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb -GENESIS 30:22

Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from long ages past -PSALM 25:6

You understand, O LORD; remember me and care for me -JEREMIAH 15:15

The Mighty One has done great things for me-holy is his name -LUKE 1:49

HER LEGACY OF PRAYER

Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb.

-GENESIS 30:22

REFLECT ON: Genesis 30:1-24. 

PRAISE GOD: Because he never for a moment forgets about us. He is present and attentive, aware of our deepest desires, even when we're certain he's lost track of us. 

OFFER THANKS: That God alone is the Creator. Because of him, every human life is sacred.

CONFESS: That we sometimes use our children, our husbands, our homes, or even the size of our paychecks to compete with other women.

ASK GOD: To help you form deep and loyal friendships with other women so you can know the joy that comes from being sisters in Christ.

Lift Your Heart

Think of one woman you would like to get to know better in the next few months. Then pick up the phone and spend a little time to chat so you can begin to build a relationship. One expert says it takes an average of three years to form a solid friendship. Don't waste another moment!

Father, forgive me for letting my identity rest on whose wife or mother I am or what kind of job I have. I don't want to view other women as my rivals but as potential friends and even soul mates. Please lead me to the friendships I desire, and help me to be patient with the process. Amen.

NAOMI

NAOMI

HER NAME MEANS

"My Joy" or "Pleasant"

HER CHARACTER:

Suffering a threefold tragedy, Naomi refused to hide her sorrow or bitterness. Believing in God's sovereignty, she attributed her suffering to his will. But her fixation on circumstances, both past and present, led to hopelessness. A kind and loving mother-in-law, she inspired unusual love and loyalty in her daughters-in-law.

HER SORROW:

To have lost a husband and two sons in a foreign land, far from family and friends.

HER JOY:

To have returned safely to Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law Ruth, who would eventually rekindle her happiness and hope.

KEY SCRIPTURE:

Ruth 1; 4:13-17

HER LIFE AND TIMES:

FAMINE

Pictures of the bloated stomachs and empty eyes of children dying of hunger hover in our minds long after the television is turned off. Famine today, just as in Bible times, is the great destroyer of the weak - of helpless children and defenseless elderly. The cries of mothers unable to save their hungry children echo throughout the years, a painful reminder of our dependence on the earth for our sustenance.

Throughout Scripture God seemed to use famine to bring about his purposes. Deuteronomy 28:22-24 gives a vivid description of the famine that would come if God's people disobeyed him. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all left Palestine because of a famine in the land. The events of a worldwide famine brought Joseph's father, Jacob, and his brothers to Egypt, where they eventually became the slaves of the pharaohs. In the book of Ruth, Naomi and her husband fled to Moab because of a famine in Israel, and, through their flight and its subsequent events, God brought Ruth into his holy plan as an ancestor of his Son, Jesus.

In the New Testament, Jesus predicted that famine would be one of the signs of the end of the ages (Matthew 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11). In the book of Acts we learn that a believer by the name of Agabus foretold a severe famine (Acts 11:28); the next verse then reveals the opportunity this gave the believers to share with each other.

In one of Scripture's most somber prophecies, Amos told of the time when God would bring about another sort of famine: "I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD" (Amos 8:11). In the past, God had always listened and responded when his people cried out to him, but Amos told of a time to come when their cries would be met with a frightening silence.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" asks Paul. "Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" (Romans 8:35). But then Paul answers his own question with that wonderful believer's cry of victory: Nothing, not even famine, will ever separate us from God's love.

HER PROMISE

God's faithfulness to restore to fullness an empty life is revealed more in this story of Naomi than in any other biblical account. The famine and hunger that drove Naomi and her husband and sons away from Bethlehem are finally replaced with full harvests and bread baked from grain gleaned in the fields. The anguish of losing her husband and sons is replaced with the loving care and concern of her daughter-in-law Ruth, who is "better to [Naomi] than seven sons (Ruth 4:15). And Naomi's empty mother-arms are filled with the son of Boaz and Ruth. She is no absent grandmother; the Scriptures sayNaomi took Obed and "laid him in her lap and cared for him" (Ruth 4:16). (We'll hear more about this grandson in the next chapter.) 

Like Naomi, we may have trouble recognizing God's goodness and his faithfulness at times. But he is still with us no matter the circumstances.

Promises in Scripture

The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth"-RUTH 4:14-15

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again -PSALM 71:20

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.... You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you-JOEL 2:25-26

HER LEGACY OF PRAYER

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me -RUTH 1:16-17

REFLECT ON: Ruth 1. 

PRAISE GOD: For creating us with the power to form deep and lasting relationships. 

OFFER THANKS: For the variety of friends God has given you.  

CONFESS: Your tendency to be too busy to pay attention to your friends or too preoccupied with your own concerns to take time for theirs.

ASK GOD: To make you a more loyal and loving friend in the year ahead.

Lift Your Heart: Think about someone with whom you used to be especially close. Perhaps time or distance has eroded the friendship. As you recall the great meals,  jokes, late-night conversations, or crazy adventures you shared. Wouldn't it be great to have that person back in your life? Pick up the phone or texts to renew the friendship. If the other person seems willing, invest some energy rebuilding the relationship in the year ahead. Let your memories form a foundation for your friendship, but don't stop there - get busy making new ones. If she's nearby, have her over for a meal or a fancy dessert. If not, exchange family photos. Stay in touch by email. 

Lord, thank you for the blessing of friends who, by sharing their lives with us, double our joy and halve our sorrows. Help me to cherish the friends you've given me and to become the kind of friend others will cherish: a woman who listens, encourages, and keeps confidences; a woman who knows how to laugh and how to cry, who is loyal, forgiving, and loving.

DEBORAH

DEBORAH

HER NAME MEANS "Honey Bee"

HER CHARACTER:

Her vision of the world was shaped not by the political situation of her day but by her relationship with God. Though women in the ancient world did not usually become political leaders, Deborah was just the leader Israel needed - a prophetess who heard God and believed him and whose courage aroused the people, enabling them to throw off foreign oppression.

HER SORROW:

That her people had sunk into despair because of their idolatry, forgetting God's promises and the faith of their ancestors.

HER JOY:

That God turned the enemy's strength on its head, bestowing power to the weak and blessing the land with peace for forty years.

KEY SCRIPTURE:

Judges 4-5

HER LIFE AND TIMES:

WOMEN AS LEADERS

While women leaders were uncommon in Israelite society, they were not unheard of. In this time of the judges, when Israel was spiritually malnourished, in a state of civic disorder, and oppressed by its enemies, Deborah stepped up to the challenge. Her leadership role probably evolved gradually, as her wisdom became known. When God spoke to Deborah, she immediately responded by calling to Barak to lead the people in a battle against their oppressor of twenty years. Barak's reluctance to go without Deborah starkly revealed Israel's lack of strong male leadership.

Deborah was the only female to hold the position of judge in Israel, but she was not the only female prophet noted in the Bible. Several others are listed: Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14), Anna (Luke 2:36), and four unmarried daughters of Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:9).

Scripture describes Deborah as "a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth." Interestingly, when Deborah described herself, she didn't use terms like prophet or wife or judge or general or leader or any other term of influence and power. She described herself as "a mother in Israel" (Judges 5:7). Her position was one of mother not only to her own biological children, but mother to all the children of Israel. Though they had forgotten not only who they were but also whom they served, their mother Deborah reminded them and led them in a victory procession to peace.

Perhaps you're not in an influential position of authority - you can still be a mother to your children and the children in your neighborhood and lead them in the right direction. Perhaps you have little power in your job or position you can still be a mother to those around you and inspire them to righteousness. Perhaps your life allows little time or opportunity for significant positions of leadership - you can still be a mother in your sphere, whether big or small, wielding influence far beyond your lowly position. You can be like Deborah, used of God to be a mother in Israel.

HER PROMISE

Deborah has been an encouragement to women throughout the centuries. When women feel confined or mistreated, when they are unsure of what is right or which way to proceed, when they are entering unknown territory, when they feel overlooked or ignored - they gain stability and help from remembering Deborah.

Whatever Deborah had is available to you today. Her wisdom is discovered in the Scriptures. Her confidence in God is found in a relationship with him. Her bravery is achievable when you put your trust in God and his promises. Her inner strength and calm leadership are characteristic of confidence not in herself but in her God. All Deborah offered to Israel she offers to you as an example of a woman willing to be used by God.

Promises in Scripture:

Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah arose, arose a mother in Israel-JUDGES 5:7

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God -PSALM 20:7

Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant?

Let those who walk in the dark, who have no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on their God-ISAIAH 50:10

HER LEGACY OF PRAYER

Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel -JUDGES 5:3

REFLECT ON: Judges 4

PRAISE GOD: For speaking clearly to his people. 

OFFER THANKS: That God gives prophets to the church, women as well as men. 

CONFESS: Anything that makes you reluctant to listen for God's voice. 

ASK GOD: To help you discern his voice.

Lift Your Heart

It's difficult, even unpleasant, to listen to two pieces of music at once. Likewise, it's hard to listen to God's voice at the same time you are listening to voices of confusion, discouragement, and condemnation. Deborah's peace and confidence as a leader stemmed in part from her ability to hear God clearly. This week ask the Holy Spirit to help you distinguish God's voice from all the background noise. Ask for grace to discipline your thoughts in order to hear God better. As you pray, put on some quiet background music to remind you to tune in to the one Voice worth listening to.

Lord, I want to hear your voice. Help me to recognize and resist all the phony voices that masquerade as yours. Help me to distinguish yours from all the others. Make me a woman who both listens and speaks your Word.

Bible verses about Unclean Spirits

Sunday service.

Bible verses about Unclean Spirits

Matthew 8:26-27

8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

8:27  But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

In this miracle, (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; and Luke 8:26-39), 

Jesus Christcommands unclean spirits to come out of two men.

Demons must obey Jesus even if people do not.

Even so, the demons do not obey Christ's command immediately.

They object, unwilling to abandon their victims.

Christ could have compelled them to come out of the men immediately if He had wished, but the men may not have been able to survive the exorcism on their own strength.

In a separate incident, Mark 9:26-27 informs us,

"Then the spirit [one demon] cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.

And he became as one dead, so that many said, 'He is dead.'

But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose."

Here, the exorcism had induced convulsions in the man as a single demon left him.

Both exorcisms were under Christ's control; He used His great power but with wise, gentle, and cautious concern.

Jesus addresses the men as if they are possessed by a single spirit, but the demon's answer, giving his name as "Legion," shows that he led a company of demons.

Mark records that the swine that the demons entered after their exorcism numbered about two thousand (Mark 5:13).

If this was the number inhabiting the two men—each with its own personality, all under the power of one will, animated by one purpose and united in operation—then the plight of the two men must have been horrific in the extreme.

Coutesy: Martin G Collins, Daly felicitus. The Bible Homiletics group.

Bible verses about Jesus Christ as King of Kings

Bible verses about Jesus Christ as King of Kings

1 Kings 11:35  

But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.

Commendary

One of these promises is conditional, while the other is unconditional.

Unconditional promise:

 "I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you" (verse 31). 

God goes on to explain that He will leave one tribe, Judah, under the Davidic monarchy in order "that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem" (verse 36).

God did this to honor His promise to David that He would "establish the throne of [Solomon's] kingdom forever" (II Samuel 7:12-13). 

Christ, the last King, descended from Judah and will sit on that throne forever.

2

Conditional promise

 . . . if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you" (I Kings 11:38).

This is a remarkable promise.

God says He will establish in Jeroboam a permanent dynasty over ten tribes if he keeps His covenant. 

Verses together with:

Kings

11:36
And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.

11:37  
And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.

11:38  
And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.

11:39  
And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.

Common commendary to all Verses.
May God bless us all.
Amen.